Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

A wonderful picture books about making new friends and being welcoming. The concept of the book (having two stories on the two halves of the pages) makes this book something truly special! I keep recommending it!

An innovative book indeed. You can read Mae's story first, or Joe's or both (like I do), Mae is excited to have a new friend to play with, while Joe is anxious of his new surroundings. The fun way you can read this book will make children curious about the story, and it was wonderfully illustrated and meticulously created so kids can enjoy reading more.

This is a cute idea, telling the story of these kids meeting side by side. Not super deep but could work well as a cooperative read.

This is a nice little children's book about Mae and Joe, and how they become friends. Joe is new at Mae's school, and he is feeling lonely, and Mae wants to make friends with him.

The pictures in the book are very nice, and they are colourful and informative. Most of the information in the book comes from the pictures, which are very detailed, although there is also small amounts of text too.

This is a lovely book, which I highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This book is currently a everyday must have in my home. My daughter is preparing to go to kindergarten - I see she is a bit scared, keeping herself in the shadow, so I bought this book.

And I see the difference!

She is more open now. The story about getting a new friend, to highlight your inner beauty, to find someone who understands you is a great value and it should be in many household, especially in children libraries.

A beautifully illustrated picture book about making friends telling the story of Mae and Joe who are in very different positions at the beginning of the story. Mae is starting a very ordinary day as an established member of a school community, while Joe is the new face and feeling lonely. Mae wants to befriend him, while Joe thinks noone wants to be his friend and neither is sure what to do. This story is all about friendship, overcome anxieties and space adventures! A great story to use in an early years classroom to encourage empathy and to begin a discussion about how to help new arrivals feel part of a class.

A New Friend follows the parallel stories of Joe and Mae. Joe is new to school, and Mae wants to befriend him. The story is told in a unique perspective, with each page going back and forth and telling Joe's point of view, and then the next page telling Mae's, side by side until they finally meet on the playground. This is a simple but cute little story that could encourage children to speak to new peers.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

This book was lovely. It shows two different sides of the same story. On one side is a girl who knows there is going to be a new kid at school, and she’s determined to become their friend. On the other side is the new kid at school who is worried about making friends. This book is the two hunting for each other and we’re constantly seeing the story from both sides. I love everything about this book. The pictures are on port point and the story flows really well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an arc of this book.

This was so adorable, great for socially anxious kids! Wish it was longer tho, but oh well what do I expect from a picture book for children...

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A New Friend is two stories one about two little kids, one who is new and one who wants to play with the new kid.

A story of budding friendship and determination to be kind and accepting of others.

When Mae discovers there is a new student at her school, she writes him a note determined to meet him and become his first new friend.

Joe is anxious about his first day in his new school and fears he won’t be able to make new friends. He is afraid of being left out and lonely.

Told from two different perspectives this story is highly engaging and offers lots of opportunities for conversation with kids about what it means to be kind to others.

I highly recommend this book to all, especially teachers. What a great addition to your classroom library!

*I received this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group.

A gorgeous, heartwarming story about the success of interculturalism and the beauty of people from different backgrounds coming together and embracing each other

The concept and illustrations in this book are great-particularly the diversity of the main characters- but the text and text placement unfortunately really threw me off really loving this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this arc! 
 
This was such a cute little book about Mae, a little girl who meets the new kid, Joe, who moves into their neighborhood.
 
I read this book to my 4-year-old for one of her bedtime stories. She enjoyed that it was the perfect length for a bedtime story and how it showed a young friendship perfectly.

I love this book. It was adorable and has a great storyline. As a parent, this kind of book is so helpful when it comes to kids and making friends. My son loved it as well!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

This is a wonderful book. The message is fantastic and the pictures are adorable!

Sometimes it's hard to make new friends, whether you're the new kid on the block, or you've been around for a while. Walking up to someone, and introducing yourself can be difficult at any age. Luckily the little girl in this book is brave enough to do the job.

In this tale of the birth of a friendship, we get to see both sides of the story. Maddy Vian's bright, cheery artwork is a perfect compliment to the author's text.

Maybe this story will inspire you to say hello to a stranger who just might turn out to be a new friend.

Charming illustrations and sweet story of friendship, and how we see the world from different perspectives. Great representation of a school with diverse characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A sweet story for younger kids about the challenges of being the new kid and making friends. There is also the power of kindness as young Mae is singularly focused on meeting the new kid. When they do finally meet up, the images and imaginations come together.